Saturday, October 16, 2010

HARVEST APPLE CHALLAH - WORLD BREAD DAY 2010

This week I was once again facing another of my famous recipe crisises. I felt inspired, but could not find the bread I wanted to make for Zorra's "World Bread Day" annual event and roundup....

I knew that I wanted to bake something sweet, with apples and with some originality. I didn't want to propose a bread I had already blogged about so that limited my choice. You have to know that, as strange as it might seem, there aren't that many different recipes that combine brioche-type dough and apples. Apart from "Apple Cinnamon Rolls" (not enough apple in them), "Apple Danish Braids" (I had already made that speciality once - with apricots), "Apple Buns" (delicious, but not delicate enough and too rustic, in my opinion) and "Apple Pizzas/Focaccias" (I've already written a lot about fruit-based pizzas or focaccias) there isn't much choice when it comes to associating that fall fruit with bread dough (yes, I know, I am a terribly finicky person).

It is only after a good hour of roaming through the net and getting slighty overheated (My anger was boiling. I felt like a pressure cooker ready to explode!) by my unsuccessful quest that I finally stumbled upon what I was looking for. I was going to bake a "Harvest Apple Challah". A not overly rich brioche bread that contains enough apples to satisfy my fruit cravings and which has a load of personaliy.What is ironic about that recipe is that I found it nowhere else than on one of my favorite and most regularly visited pages on the net: the King Arthur Flour website. I had to google and surf crazily like a spastic (no harm meant to people suffering fom cerebral palsy) in a frenzy in order to end up finding my recipe on a site I know more than well. I could have saved a lot of time if I knew that at the end I was going to choose a recipe from them!!!

This "Harvest Apple Challah" is very different from the traditional Challahs we all know (plain, braided or coiled and with sesame or poppy seeds). This non-orthodox Challah is prepared like "Monkey Bread", spiced with cardamom, vanilla as well as orange peel puree and stuffed with sweetened cinnamon and rum scented apple chunks. In fact, it is called Challah just because the dough is made exactly like that of this wonderful festive Jewish bread.

The dough is rather painless and straightforward to prepare; nothing very difficult here (Unless you've never made bread that is...). The filling is also easy peasy. The only messy part in this recipe is when you have to cut the big apple-filled dough pillow in 16 pieces and place each of them in the round cake pan. Then, it gets kind of dirty, chaotic and extremely untidy. You'll have apples falling out, slippery wet dough refusing to get tamed, syrup juice oozing out of every openingand you'll think that it all went terribly wrong. But don't stick to that impression. You are actually doing the right thing. Don't panic, breathe deep and forget about the disastrous appearance of your unbaked Challah and your post-atomic bomb looks of your work surface. It will indeed look picture perfect once it comes out of the oven!

The smooth Challah dough contains fragrant honey, spices (my addition), some eggs and sunflower oil (no butter is ever used in this briochy treat). This particular combination confers an incredibly tender, fluffy and delicate texture as well as a divinely aromatic flavor to this bread. For the apple filling (to which I added a little rum), I chose not to use apples that are commonly employed when making desserts or cooking (Golden, Granny Smith, Gala, Jonagold, etc...) as in my opinion they either lack oomph, sharpness or fragrance. I decided upon choosing one of my favorite apples, the DutchBelle de Boskoop. This large, lumpy, dull reddish green-brown apple might not be as pretty as it's other apple counterparts (I find it beautiful, though) and might look a little rustic as well as not prone to be presented on stalls, but believe me it has one of the most mouthwatering aromas I have ever come upon. And is the best ally when baking as it stands up well to cooking (As you have gathered now, I am a BIG fan of this apple!). Needless to say that the sharp filling was just perfect and contrasted wonderfully with the light sweetness of the bread.

This KAF "Harvest Apple Challah" is just simply to die for so do yourself a favor and BAKE IT without delay!!!!

Method for the "Dough":1. Combine all of the dough ingredients. Mix and then knead them, using a mixer or by hand (or bread machine), until you have a soft, smooth and elastic dough (about 8-10 minutes).2. Put the dough in a oiled/buttered bowl and let it rise, covered, for 2 hours or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in size (If you've made the dough in a bread machine, allow it to rise in the machine for an extra hour after the dough cycle is completed.).3. Lightly grease/butter a 9inch round cake pan that's at least 2inch deep (or grease a 9inch or 10inch springform pan).Method for the "Apple Filling":4. Toss the apple chunks with the sugar, cinnamon and rum.5. Gently deflate the dough, transfer it to a lightly greased work surface, and flatten it into a rough rectangle, about 8 x 10 inches.6. Spread half the apple chunks in the center of the dough (see remarks for details).7. Fold a short edge of the dough over the apple in order to cover it, patting firmly to seal the apples and spread the dough a bit.8. Spread the remaining apple atop the folded-over dough.9. Cover the apples with the other side of the dough, again patting firmly (Basically, you've folded the dough like a letter, enclosing the apples inside.).10. Take a long knife and cut the apple-filled dough into 16 pieces. Cut in half, then each half in halves, etc ... (This will be very, VERY messy; the dough is slippery, apples will fall out, sugar syrup will ooze... it's not pretty. Don't worry, and don't stress about making all the pieces the same size).11. Lay the dough chunks into the pan (Crowd them so that they all fit in a single tight layer - barely. Lots of apple chunks will fall out during this process; just tuck them in among the dough pieces, or simply spread them on top.).12. Cover the challah gently with lightly greased plastic wrap or a humid towel and let it rise for about 1 hour, until it's a generous 2inches high (It should just crest the rim of a 9inch round cake pan). Twenty minutes before the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325° F (170° C).

Method for the "Glaze":13. Whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water. Brush the dough with the egg mixture, and sprinkle heavily with the pearl sugar, if desired.14. Place the bread in the lower third of the oven. Bake it for 55 minutes, or until the top is at least light golden brown all over and has no white spots (Some of the higher-rising pieces will actually char; that's OK.).15. Remove the challah from the oven, and after 5 minutes loosen the edges and carefully transfer it to a rack.16. Let cool or serve warm.

Remarks:I made my challah with Boskoop apples.Be sure to use good-quality honey and oil in this recipe. Since they play such a major part, they have to taste good.Use neutral-flavored oil. Canola oil can produce off flavors in baking, so best not to use it here.If you want to see a picture tutorial of that recipe go over to the KAF site.

Serving suggestions:Serve the bread warm or at room temperature.Drizzle with honey just before serving, if desired or serve with honey for dipping.

Your harvest challah looks beautiful...and I can just picture you making it by your discription...hehehe...just thinking about the apples slipping out! Growing up in Michigan where apples are big, there were so many varieties that you would believe! It's fun to discover new ones.

These kinds of breads blow me away and unfortunately, I can't stop eating them. still, as we need more fat reserves for winter ;-) Wonderful job and lovely photos. Your bread is amazing and the kitchen must have been filled with the most delicious aroma.

How fabulous, Rosa! I am drooling just looking at your photos. I really don't make yeast bread enough...guess it's because my family is grown and out of the house. You're giving me incentive tostart again!

wow! thanks for the tip on the right type of apples; hope i can find these apples belles de boskoop; I will enquire and see, maybe it is what we are already growing here and in the US maybe the farmers market carries them; now your challah looks and sounds terrific!

never encountered a more pretty looking challah bread. Orange zest and all the spices makes me want to grab it right away. looks like another recipe bookmarked :-) I have baked a challah and if I make, it better be this way.